Editor: 5 Reason why Chefs Eat Fast Food!

We know its godly unhealthy. We know it’s full of carbs we don’t need. Trans-fat we can’t shed. The sodium register is off the scale. We cook in fine dining restaurants, and serve incredible food, then why is that chefs still eat fast food?

When I was an apprentice chef, I baulked in surprise at the first time I saw my revered head chef munching down on a Big Mac with a side of shoestring fries in extreme glee. Why the hell would you want to eat that when we were serving wagyu beef ragu tagliatelle that very night?

#1: Boy, its quick!

Fast food as the name implies – it’s quick! During a fifteen-minute break, you could dash across the street, order your take-away and completely slam it down your mouth by the time you’ve stepped back into the sterile world of that is the commercial kitchen.

#2: Grease Palate Cleanser

In a world where we serve fine dining gastronomy, food is artisan manufactured to an inch of it culinary life. Having a standard, greasy burger (or fried chicken) is quite the palate cleanser for the evening. It’s something to ‘normalise’ our tastebuds. So, the next crème brulee we serve is going to be spot on.

#3: You’re really sick of your own food

Some chefs are stuck with a repetitive menu at where you cook daily. In my case, too many deep-fried pork bellies or rice paddy herbed noodles on a monthly basis. The last thing you want to do is eat pork belly noodles for your staff meal dinner. So we, refer to point 1, dash out instead to forage for some quick alternative foods.

#4: Lazy, Tired & Penniless

On our rare days off, we’re often lazy, tired and completely broke. We don’t have the budget to spend $50 on a nice meal. Most often the cheapest food there is around is the mass produced stuff aka. Fast Food! We just want to order, take it home, smash it down with some liquid and go sleep!

#5: It’s the only bloody thing open

Some of brethren chefs end their shifts at abnormal times. I remember the daily 2am nights after scrubbing down the kitchens and re-ordering ingredients for my section. The closest thing open to my apartment was a Pie Face (available now near Somerset MRT) and a Subway. Ergo, I’ve tasted every single flavour of pie they had. And I know the subway menu by hard. It’s not my fault!

Post KFC Conclusion

So there you go, 5 really bad reasons that chefs eat fast food. Still don’t believe me? Go google Gordon Ramsay and In-and-Burger, his favourite burger is the Double Double!